Brooks Launch Lightweight Review

The Good

Snug fit

Breathable midfoot

Durable

The Bad

Slippery

Tight toes

OK wicking

THE VERDICT

The Brooks Launch Lightweight is a tight-fitting, low volume sock praised for its deep heel and durability.

FULL REVIEW

As Brooks’ lightest sock, the snug yet airy feel works for quick, middle distance runs. The Brooks Launch Lightweight tab sock has a thin fit and its materials make these more of a race-ready sock than a comfy trainer. These were the favorite sock of one tester.

Fit/ComfortOur road running shoe testers liked the tight, minimalist fit with a deep heel. Some found them uncomfortably tight during longer runs. Others noted the Drilayer nylon caused their feet to slip around inside the shoe, especially among our female testers who had issues with the fit.

WickingThe thin but tough glide nylon wicked admirably and consistently according to all our testers.

Durability
These withstood heavy mileage and frequent washings. The materials should hold up for years.

We called in 10 pairs of socks from established brands as well as newer entries to the market. We tested a mix of socks that will either debut in spring 2018, or are 2017 sock styles that will carry over into 2018 with new colors or patterns. Samples of variant styles were sent to our testers, who as road shoe testers, tended to prefer low-cut, thinner socks. Some ran in taller, more cushioned socks, though testers judged each pair based on the design’s intended use. We focused on the performance features in the foot of the sock, and our testers reported differences in the low-cut socks tied to the shape of their feet and the types of shoes they wore.

Our testers ran in these throughout the fall in different climates, including Colorado, California and British Columbia. Most of the testing coincided with our road shoe testing, though several runners took these on trail and training runs, too.

It fits my foot extremely well, holds up well to the miles, wear and washings and has a very thin, lightweight feel. It did not overgrip my instep like some of the no-show socks do and was easy to get on and off.